OCTOBER 6, 2023 HERITAGE National Hispanic Heritage Month: From progress to prosperity and power On September 12, 2023, President Joe Biden said, “In recognition of the achievement of the Hispanic community, the Congress, by Public Law 100-402, as amended, has authorized and requested the President to issue annually a proclamation designating September 15 through October 15 as National Hispanic Heritage Month.” In the preamble of President Biden’s Proclamation, he noted, “… we honor the diverse history of generations of Latinos, whose aspirations and achievements have shaped the soul of our nation.” History, Heritage and Progress In 19th century America and the first half of the 20th century, Hispanic Americans faced all kinds of setbacks and discrimination. It was not unusual to see big signs in Texas that said, “NO DOGS NO NEGROES NO MEXICANS.” The contemporary history of Hispanics or Latinos in America is complicated. The governments of the United States and Mexico signed a diplomatic agreement which allowed hundreds of thousands Mexican men to come to America as guest workers under a large-scale labor program known as “The Bracero Program.” States and local governments were issued certificates which authorized farm owners to hire laborers they needed at very low wages. While young American men and women were fighting in Europe as part of the Allied Forces in World War I, the Bracero laborers were working in agricultural fields in Texas, Florida, Arizona and California. Thousands of the Bracero laborers worked on the back-breaking jobs of laying the transcontinental railroads. The war ended and American troops returned home; Bracero laborers were asked to leave the country and return to Mexico. Most of them did. A few thousands stayed behind because, during the war, the agricultural food farmers of California, Texas and Florida expanded their agri-businesses and needed more farm laborers. But during the Great Depression of the 1930s, millions of unemployed Americans needed any kind of job. Consequently, the remaining Mexican Farm workers were displaced by poor and hungry Americans. The Second Bracero labor program was launched by the U.S. and Mexico in 1944 during World War II. It was WILL SHAKESPEARE Groundcover vendor No. 258 said, “There is no one term that everybody loves equally.” The second PBS guest was Mr. Hugo Chavez, Study Director at the PEW Research Center. He agreed with Christina Mora. He presented some survey statistics on identity. On the term, LatinX, the PEW surveys stated that 76% of Hispanics have not heard of it; 20% heard about, but do not use it; and only 3% of Hispanics use the term supposed to end in 1947 but it officially ended in 1964. The young veterans who returned home after the war chose plentiful jobs in manufacturing, transportation, construction and service industries. The GI Bill provided opportunity for free education and skills development. The low-wage jobs of picking apples, picking bananas, cutting sugar cane, planting lettuce, peppers, tomatoes, onions, corn and other vegetables and fruits did not appeal to many Americans of the post war era. The “Dust Bowl” phenomenon displaced millions of people in the lower Midwest after the war. The government encouraged them to move to California and replace the Bracero Program laborers. Many did, but left after complaining about the working conditions. Millions of Mexicans who labored as Bracero or guest workers were trailblazers. Hispanic/Latino Americans have come a long way. They were in the 1950s and 1960s invisible and highly marginalized. Cesar Chavez (19271993), head of the Farm Workers Union, and other Hispanic Americans, such as Joan Baez, joined Reverend/Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in the August 28, 1963 March on Washington, D.C. Chavez shared Dr. King’s dreams of freedom, liberty, equality and justice. PBS Weekend edition invited two Hispanic/Latino scholars to help answer questions about identity. Why do some members of the community want to be called Hispanic? Why do some want to be called Latino or Latina? Why do some members of the community want to be called LatinX? Why do many Hispanics of Mexican descent want to be called Chicano or Chicana? Ms. Christina Mora of the University of California, Berkeley, author of “Making Hispanics” said that the terms Hispanic and Latino are used interchangeably based on geographic connection, generational connection or national origin connection. She “Latinx.” The Hispanic/Latino American population has reached more than 64 million people. They represent 19% of the U.S. population total; in 2022, Latinos accounted for 40% of California’s population. Economic Prosperity and Political Power It may come as a surprise to many people when they realize what the current data says about the economic power and the purchasing power of Hispanic/Latino Americans. On Wednesday, September 27, NBC News Cable Network published an article by Brandon Gomez titled, “U.S. Latino economic output grows to $3.2 trillion, according to a new study.” Mr. Gomez outlined the following key points: The U.S. Latino economy continues to grow reaching $3.2 trillion in 2021, up from $2.8 trillion the year prior, according to a new report by the Latino Donor Collaborative in partnership with Wells Fargo Bank. If Latinos were an independent country, their GDP would rank fifth in the world, ahead of the United Kingdom, India and France. Industry for Latinos remains steady in accommodation and food services, construction, administrative support, waste management and transportation. Mr. Sol Trujillo is the Chairman of Latino Donor Collaborative which commissioned the study of Latino economic power. During his appearance on CNBC, Mr. Trujillo said, “Latinos are the engine of growth in the U.S.” He noted that the economic impact of Latinos in California, Texas and Florida are staggering. The dollar impacts amount to $682 Billion for California; $465 Billion for Texas; and $240 Billion for Florida. The study suggests that because of the Latino community’s youthful and strong population share in the nation, coupled with high labor force participation, we should continue to see high levels of growth powered by see LATINX page 10 Thursday, November 2 • 7:30pm Lydia Mendelssohn Theater Reggie Watts is headed to Ann Arbor this November to share his memoir, Great Falls, MT, a candid reflection on his childhood growing up in Montana. This is a free event requiring advanced registration to attend. Find the link to register at aadl.org/reggiewatts. Brought to you in partnership with the Ann Arbor Summer Festival. GROUNDCOVER NEWS What’s Happening at the Ann Arbor District Library Open 10am–8pm Daily Hang out in any of our five locations across town, browsing books, magazines, newspapers, and more, or check out movies, CDs, art prints, musical instruments, and home tools— you name it! Study and meeting rooms, fast and free WiFi, and plenty of places to sit and hang out. Homework Help Get homework help with Brainfuse, an online tutoring service available with your AADL login. Live expert tutors are available from 2-11 pm every day to assist in math, English, college application prep, resume writing, and more! Visit aadl.org/ homework for more. Fifth Avenue Press AADL founded Fifth Avenue Press in 2017 to support the local writing community and promote the creation of original content. The imprint publishes works by authors who live in Washtenaw County. Consider submitting your finished manuscript to Fifth Avenue Press today at fifthave.aadl.org. FEATURED EVENT 5
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